


Dancing Lessons

by NotQuiteNerdy



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 16:43:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6618373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotQuiteNerdy/pseuds/NotQuiteNerdy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei is a spoiled son of a wealthy man who can't stand another party, and Nagisa is the son of the gardener who watches all the dancing from the windows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing Lessons

Running away seemed like the best option at the time. Of course later on he would have to explain to his mother and father why he had left early, which involved thinking of a clever reason that he must be excused, but Rei could simply not face the fact of going back into the party. Rei had never been the type to enjoy parties. The only thing enjoyable was the dancing. Rei loved dancing. Counting out every step in his head listening to the perfect measures of the music and the pattern of his feet. Unfortunately for Rei, dancing required a partner and Rei could never seem to find a suitable one. To the disappointment of his parents Rei had absolutely no social skills.

He had, in total, four friends. Three of which were older than him and male. The only potential dance partner he had amongst his friends was a girl named Kou, but as Rin had made very clear she was his younger sister and he would decide who she danced with.

It was currently Rin's fault that Rei was running from the party. Rei had always found Rin to be slightly annoying. Rin claimed it was because Rei "couldn't take a joke." Although Rei had always wondered how pouring fruit juice on someone's head was a joke and not simply making a mess. Unfortunately for Rei, his other two friends friends were Haruka and Makoto. Haru was water obsessed, savate who only seemed to care about fish and swimming. His brutally honest way of speaking could only either be found heartwarming or just rude. Luckily for Haru, Makoto found it heartwarming and never took it personally. Makoto was the nicest person someone could meet. He was sweet, caring, with a slight tendency to be pushed around and talk too much, it was odd that Haru and him were inseparable. Rei supposed that opposites attract, though he did wish that they would stop spending so much time together and save him from the terror that was Rin.

Rei and Rin would have gotten along fairly well but they seemed to have one major difference, one of them was sociable and the other was not. Where Rei hated big parties Rin loved them. Whereas Rei loved spending hours reading, Rin would not be caught dead in a study, and while Rin could talk to girls easily, he couldn't dance. The result was Rin spending most of his time dragging Rei around. Rei would be reading peacefully until Rin showed up and dragged him to the tennis court, or to the swimming pool, or out to the shopping mall, or to go play soccer, or, as it happened that night, Rei would be contemplating how to cleverly excuse himself when Rin would show up and demand that Rei be his wingman. What followed was both of them introducing themselves to two pretty ladies and Rei having to dance with both of them. He didn't really mind the dancing but he couldn't stand the fact that the girls talked over the music.

"So my cousin was in the city the other day…" all the while a beautiful waltz was being played in the background. Rei felt like combusting into flames and being swept out of the room in ashes. So after the fifth dance he was forced into by Rin, Rei chose to flee the scene. Running outside of the ballroom, Rei found his serenity in the garden.

It was a warm summer night and the occasional gust of wind was refreshing on the skin. The gardens were quiet except for the soft lull of music in the distance. Rei found himself wondering and looked around to see he was approaching one of the small courtyards surrounded by hedges. It stood near the curtained windows of the large house and was filled with light music. In the center of this particular courtyard stood a short blonde figure. As Rei got closer he could see that the figure was watching the window and counting out loud. The person's feet were moving in time with the silhouettes in the windows. The figure turned with the dancers and Rei saw his face. He was a boy, around Rei's own age, although his height made him look younger. He had dirt smudged on to his round face and he wore a stained cap over his curly blonde hair. Cast aside Rei saw a box of gardening tools. The boy had a handkerchief in his pocket and wore a pair of overalls. The boy started to hum along to the music and he closed his eyes. He looked perfectly blissful. He put his right foot down but switched feet to quickly and wound up off the counts again. He grumbled and waited for a couple bars to start over.

Rei started clapping from his hiding space in the bushes, "Beautiful well done."

The boy blushed furiously, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know anyone was here. I'll just leave you alone then." They boy reached down to pick up his tool box.

"Are you the gardener?" Rei called out before the boy could go.

The boy looked back at him, clearly expecting to be in trouble for slacking off on the job. "I'm the gardener's son."

Rei had called after the boy without really thinking and now he was at a loss for what to say. Should he introduce himself? Should he ask this boy's name? He had paused for a while now and was starting to panic. He had to say something, but now after such a long pause it would have to be something good, except nothing was coming to mind. What did Rin usually say? Something about how beautiful they looked, or how their eyes shown in the moonlight. "You look beautiful tonight.." He asked a little more awkwardly than originally planned.

The boy raised an eyebrow in shock, "Excuse me?"

Rei really started to panic now, that was most definitely not the right thing to say, "I mean.. You look average." The boy snickered.

Rei huffed angrily, "Stop snickering, aren't you supposed to be doing your job? What is your job anyway? I'm fairly certain it's not laughing at the owner's son."

"I was… a… trimming the hedges…" The boy stammered pathetically, his smirk disappeared.

Rei grinned victoriously, "but you haven't got any trimmers with you. Honestly what kind of gardener are you?"

The boy looked around nervously, "No? How silly of me I wonder where they could have gone…" He started towards the tool box, grabbing it by the handle, "I'll just be on my way to look for them, sorry sir.. I didn't mean to... sorry.." He took off out of the courtyard and past the hedges.

Rei frowned once he had left. He hadn't meant to make the boy leave, he just didn't want to stomach someone else laughing at how awkward he was. He sighed sitting down on a bench.

"Rei!" He heard a familiar voice call.

"Rin-"

"What the hell man! You left me in there by myself!" Rin said turning the corner into the courtyard.

"My apologies." He said, a little more sincere then usual.

Rin frowned, "What's wrong? One of the girls say something nasty to you? Cause you know you probably insulted them first and didn't realize it."

"No. Foolish girls who talk about cousins who go to malls over The Blue Danube Waltz could never insult me. Their intelligence is far too low for that."

Rin sat down, "Then what is it? You seem down."

Rei sighed, "A boy was laughing at me."

Rin laughed, "What did you do?"

"Nothing! I was a perfect gentlemen, and he had the audacity to laugh at me." Rei huffed.

"Well what did you say, cause you know sometimes you think you're a perfect gentlemen and you're really being a perfect ass."

"I told him he looked beautiful tonight."

Rin laughed again, "Oh my god! Why?"

"That's what you always say isn't it? That's how you say hello to all those girls who like you so much."

Rin grinned, "Rei, you're supposed to say that when you flirt with someone, you know, when you want to kiss them and-"

"Oh good god." Rei turned bright red head in his hands, "No wonder he was so confused."

"Well what happened after? Did you flirt until he ran away?"

"No.. I yelled at him for laughing." He sighed leaning back on the bench, "Why am I so bad with people? Why can't I just stay alone? Why do people have to keep interfering with my life?"

"Because life isn't nearly as fun by yourself."

"But does everyone have to be so.. so annoying?"

Rin shrugged, "Depends what you find annoying. I guess some people prefer some over others. I mean isn't there anyone here tonight you find at least tolerable?"

Rei thought about the question. He thought of all the girls he danced with that night, all the ones who had no interest in music or history. He thought of the boring conversations he had had with adults.

Then he thought about the boy he had met in the garden. The boy who had been dancing on his own, smiling as he listened to the faint music.

"Maybe.. maybe there is someone I can learn to tolerate." He stood up, "I have to run. I'll see you later."

Rin smiled as he watched the other run off.

 

Rei found the gardener's son by the tool shed. He was sitting with his back against the wall nodding his head to the music with a frown. He saw Rei coming and stood up immediately,

"I finished up my work and put my tools away if that's what you're going to complain about."

"Did you come out here to dance?" Rei asked catching his breath momentarily.

The boy looked up at him confused, "What?"

"Did you come outside to dance? I don't think I've ever heard of gardeners working during a party."

"Yes." He said looking back at the house where all the music was coming from, "I love dancing."

"While you'd never know by the way you dance. Your dancing has no technique to it."

The boy turned back to Rei clearly angered, "Listen I don't have to-"

"Yes it's no good, I'll have to teach you how to do it properly."

The gardener's son froze, "You mean?"

"Come and stand here." Ordered Rei haughtily as he positioned himself.

The boy quickly moved to stand opposite.

"For this lesson I will be leading and you will be dancing as the woman."

The boy nodded, starting to smile. Rei smiled back looking away a little embarrassed.

"I'm Nagisa.. by the way." He grinned, looking up from his feet.

"R-Rei." He said blushing as the other looked up at him

"Rei-chan! You're blushing!"

"I am not! It's just warm outside..." He looked away indignantly.

Nagisa smiled, "Thank you.. for dancing with me."

"Any time...."

They spent the whole night dancing together.


End file.
